Just Like You
by Kavi Leighanna
Summary: TV Prompt Challenge - There's nothing Jack wants more than to be just like his father. H/P undertones
1. Chapter 1

**JUST LIKE YOU**

BONUS PROMPT: Dead Dad (MASH)

--

"Hotchner."

The word was half mumbled into his desk phone, his mind on other things. Like the murder of seven men in the span of six weeks.

"Aaron Christopher Hotchner!"

Hotch flinched. Haley. God, she sounded like his mother when she did that. "Yes, Haley?"

"Where on God's green earth did your son learn to say shit?"

Hotch's head shot up. "He swore?"

"He is five years old, Aaron, where on earth did he learn to say words like that? It most certainly wasn't at pre-school."

Hotch closed his eyes racking his brain for where Jack could have learned a word like 'shit'. "Can I talk to him?"

There was shuffling, then Jack's little voice. "Hiya Daddy!"

"Hi Buddy," Hotch said his voice unconsciously softening. He adored his little boy. "Mommy says you said a bad word."

He could almost see Jack bite his lip. "It just came out."

"I'm not mad," he hastened to reassure his son. There was no way Jack was going to tell him anything if he thought his dad was mad at him. "I just want to know where you learned it."

"From you."

Hotch's entire body froze and he felt his eyes flutter shut. He'd said it a few times, mostly accidentally, but he hadn't known Jack was listening that carefully. Or listening at all for that matter. It was a sad slip of the job. Sometimes things were that bad. He was suddenly simply glad Jack hadn't chosen a harsher word to use in front of his mother.

"Jack, you can't use words like that, okay?"

"But you do!"

"And I shouldn't," Hotch replied sternly. He wasn't sure he was going to swear ever again. He'd taught his son bad words? What kind of father was he? "I need you to promise me you won't say words like that again, okay?"

"But Daddy! I want to be just like you!"

His heart was melting. Crap. "Then you can say those words when you look just like me, but right now, John Bradshaw, you do not use those words, hear me?"

"Yes Daddy."

Hotch found himself smiling at the absolutely dejected tone of his voice. "That's my boy. Make sure you apologize to Mommy, okay?"

"Okay. Love you Daddy."

"I love you too, Buddy."

* * *

_**I have a little series of these. So they're going to be a bunch of mini-oneshots. Which is why I don't feel anywhere close to terrible about how short this is. I decided instead of putting them all up at once, I'd do it in little pieces. **_

_**They're all actually based on the song "Watching You" by Rodney Atkins. It's the cutest song in the world.  
**_

_**Review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**JUST LIKE YOU**

BONUS PROMPT: Dead Dad (MASH)

--

A crash woke him from a solid sleep and he shot upright without really thinking about it, absently reaching for the woman who had occupied his bed for almost a year. His heart started to pound when he realized she wasn't there. Where was Emily? What happened? He threw off the covers and bolted for Jack's room, hoping to God he could get to the study to get his gun before he met whatever intruder had broken through his early morning slumber. He swallowed thickly when he noticed Jack's messed up bed sheets. Good Lord, if something had happened to them...

He heard another crash and made a dive for the study, somehow managing to make quick work of the gun safe and withdrawing his weapon. He and Emily always made sure to lock up their standard issues when Jack was over. Double checking the cartridge and making sure his hand was on the safety, he crept slowly down the stairs.

And let out a breath of relief.

"We have to be quiet!"

That was Jack's voice. Which meant he was probably okay.

"Then you can't keep dropping things."

And that was Emily, sounding maternal and playfully scolding the seven-year-old that was obviously in the kitchen with her.

"What's going on here?"

Both heads popped up to look at him, as if caught robbing a bank.

"We're cooking breakfast!" Jack exclaimed finally, scrambling down from the chair he was standing on to hug his father.

Hotch took in the messy kitchen, covered in flour, a couple of spills of milk and who knew what else. He met Emily's eyes and she smiled sheepishly.

"It's Saturday," she said. "He wanted to make pancakes, just like Daddy does every Saturday morning."

Hotch looked down at his son and ruffled his hair, disentangling his dirty hands from his waist to make his way further into the kitchen. Kissing Emily in a brief 'good morning', he took in the kitchen. Then with a sigh, he dipped his finger into the batter. "It's missing the secret ingredient," he said solemnly.

Jack almost looked broken-hearted. "You never said there was a secret ingredient!"

"Well, you're seven now, so I think you're old enough to learn all about it."

Jack's eyes lit up then and he scrambled after him, almost jumping up and down in excitement. "This is going to make them just like yours, right Daddy?"

Hotch pulled the little bottle down from the shelf and smiled at his son. "Right."

Just like Daddy's.


	3. Chapter 3

**JUST LIKE YOU**

BONUS PROMPT: Dear Dad (MASH)

--

Hotch exchanged a smile with Emily as they walked the halls of Jack's middle school. It was Career Day and Jack had asked them both if they'd come and talk about the FBI. It was with reluctance he'd agreed, if only because he really didn't want to make the FBI sound more glamorous than it actually was. Kids had a tendency of blowing things out of proportion coupled with the unfortunate propensity of Hollywood in making the job seem much more action packed than it often was. Why weren't there any shows about the endless amounts of paperwork they had to do?

After briefly flashing their badges – the secretary had wanted proof that they were actual FBI agents here for Career Day and not some odd substitute – and signing in, they'd been directed to Jack's seventh grade classroom. Hotch had been there before, for parent-teacher interviews with Haley. It was something he did as a way to keep up on his son's life and keep involved in his schooling. He went, whether Haley wanted to or not.

The addition of his wife – they'd marred three years ago now and she'd been the one to make the move to another unit as per fraternization rules – was because Hotch was a firm believer in equality. He wanted to make sure that the children knew there were plenty of strong women in the FBI too and there wasn't a person he was more likely to call a strong woman than his own wife.

"Dad!"

Jack's voice preceded their gentle knock on the door, and Hotch found himself grinning at his son as he stepped into the classroom to shake the teacher's hand. After a couple of brief words with the teacher, and Emily's introduction, they exchanged a look and launched into the presentation they'd sketched out the night before.

Half an hour later, their presentation done, Hotch smiled and thanked the teacher just after she dismissed the class for morning recess. Emily had been cornered and puppy-eyed by Jack into telling his friends one of the stories about his dad's FBI days.

"He adores you, you know," the teacher said, nodding to his son.

Hotch couldn't help the pride that slipped into his smile. "He's a good kid."

"He really is," then she tipped her head to the side. "You know, last week I had the kids write something on what they wanted to be when they grew up."

Hotch nodded. He knew about the assignment. He and Jack had talked about it on the phone.

"Jack wrote his mini-essay on how he wanted to be just like his Dad." She paused. "If what I saw today was any indication, I can see it."


	4. Chapter 4

**JUST LIKE YOU**

BONUS PROMPT: Dear Dad (MASH)

--

"Hey Dad?"

Hotch looked up from the paperwork he was doing at the dining room table to find Jack in the doorway to the dining room. "Something wrong?"

Jack came in and sat down, ignoring the papers spread over the table. At sixteen, he knew that the folders were confidential FBI files and probably things he just didn't want to see yet. "I've been thinking."

Hotch closed the folder in front of him, sliding some of the pictures out of his son's line of sight. "Of?"

"Well, college is only a few years away and I have to start thinking about what kind of college I want to go to. So, I have to start picking my prerequisites now."

Hotch found himself nodding slowly. "Okay..."

"What do you think of me going into the FBI?"

Hotch was floored. Jack had always taken after him, sure, but this was the one area he thought Haley would have more influence. The FBI, to her, had been what had broken up their family. "Have you talked to your mother?"

"She'd prefer if I'm going to do something in law I go the lawyer route," Jack said rolling his eyes. "But I don't want to. Being a lawyer isn't the same as being in the field, isn't that what you always said?"

He had. He'd been bored as a lawyer, and then the Bureau had recruited him and he'd been assigned – or hand-picked as the case may have been – to be in the elite BAU. He thought about it for a moment. Jack was quick on his feet and whip smart, there was no doubt about that. "Where in the Bureau?"

Jack shrugged. "I haven't thought that far yet and I haven't done the research." He paused for a moment. "I was thinking maybe I'd go get a criminal justice degree first, then go into the Academy."

When his father didn't say anything, Jack pushed on. "You and Emily have always said it was one of the most rewarding things you've ever done and that there's nothing else you could have chosen to do that would be just as fulfilling."

Hotch took a deep breath. He could hear Jack when he was at the kitchen table at thirteen, working with Emily on some of his homework. It was one of those essays on what you were going to be when you grew up and Jack's answer had been swift in coming:

"_I'm going to be just like Dad."_

He looked Jack right in the eye, and said seriously, "If that's what you want to do, Jack, then I will stand behind you."


End file.
